A gastric sleeve procedure is not a guaranteed solution to cure sleep apnoea, though it has been shown to be the most effective way to ease one’s symptoms of sleep apnoea.
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is a disorder that presents itself while one is asleep. It occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the mouth or throat collapses mid-sleep. When this happens, positive airway pressure is blocked, which causes breathing to stop. After a small amount of time, breathing resumes, typically with a loud gasp and/or body jerk. Consequently, sleep apnoea can decrease sleep quality, and in turn, reduce the flow of oxygen to vital organs. If the condition is left untreated, it can increase the risk of major health issues such as hypertension, heart attacks and strokes.
Three types of sleep apnoea exist including obstructive sleep apnoea, central sleep apnoea and mixed sleep apnoea.
The types of sleep apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common of the three and is caused by factors such as weight gain, sleeping position, smoking and alcohol consumption. In this form of the condition, one’s breathing is obstructed during sleep due to a blockage in the airway.
Central sleep apnoea, however, is quite rare. It is caused by the brain temporarily stopping signals which control breathing during the night. This results in breathing speeding up, slowing down or stopping, and can be caused by Parkinson’s disease, strokes, or heart/kidney failure. Mixed sleep apnoea is a combination of the obstructive and central forms of sleep apnoea.
All three sleep apnoea forms can affect anyone; however, it is most common in those who are obese or morbidly obese. This is because, in the obese, the soft tissue at the back of the mouth is thicker, leaving it more susceptible to collapse.
What can a gastric sleeve do to help?
Bariatric procedures such as sleeve gastrectomy surgery work to reduce the size of the stomach and enable one to feel full after less food. Ultimately, this results in weight loss in the long turn.
A gastric sleeve can be created through laparoscopic keyhole surgery. This surgical procedure removes a portion of the stomach. Ultimately, weight loss surgery procedures such as sleeve gastrectomies are aimed at long term weight loss and keeping the excess weight off for good. Whilst weight regain is possible from this form of surgery, if one adds suitable diet and exercise habits into their lifestyle after their bariatric operation, there is a slim chance of this taking place.
As one of the leading causes of obstructive sleep apnoea is obesity and weight gain, there is a chance that the weight loss as a result of the surgical procedure can assist with sleep apnoea.
Can sleep apnoea be cured by gastric sleeve surgery?
Ultimately, bariatric surgery procedures such as the gastric sleeve are the best way to deal with sleep apnoea. Various studies have shown that obesity surgery can cause the remission of sleep apnoea in 80-85% of patients. There is no guarantee that weight loss surgery will cure sleep apnoea, but the procedure can play a part in helping you get a better night’s sleep.
Along with sleep apnoea relief, bariatric patients can also experience various other benefits of weight loss surgery. These include the recession of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and joint pain, whilst also increasing one’s chance of fertility.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
If you are interested in a gastric sleeve procedure, we recommend that you contact Dr Kevin Dolan and the WALOS rooms to see if the procedure is right for you.
In addition to performing gastric sleeve procedures, the WALOS team and Dr Dolan have 20 years of experience performing other bariatric surgeries such as gastric bypasses, SIBS, SADI-S and SASI-S in Perth, and will be able to assist you. You can find out more about their range of weight loss surgeries here.
To get in touch with Dr Kevin Dolan, contact us today.